Web of Lies
by DarkHallows
Summary: Undergoing major revamp! Hollyleaf is struggling to cope with leaving her clan, and Ravenpaw is struggling with a dieing Barley. Then they met each other...
1. Chapter 1

**(V.2!)**

**This is technically the Sequel to 'Struggle', but you don't need to read it to understand this story. I've rewritten this, and cleaned it up a little (lot). Things have and will change, but the story is still pretty much the same and hopefully better. Enjoy.**

**[note: I do not own warriors. This is a fan made work, and will always be.]**

The frigid air mingled with snowflakes drifting slowly to the ground. One by one they fell, dancing, the ground growing white. It was dark- the moon and stars covered by thick gray clouds. Somewhere in the distance a dog barked, the sound lost in the wind.

Ravenpaw shivered. He was unable to sleep, but wasn't ready to leave the warmth of his friend's fur. He sighed and pushed into the black and white tom.

_I should sleep, _he told himself, _I need_- his thoughts were interrupted by a cough from his elderly companion.

"Are you alright, Barley?" asked the black tom.

Barley yawned, "it was only a cough, go back to sl-" cough "eep."

The black cat nodded and relaxed. It was nothing, he told himself, cat's coughed all the time. He closed his eyes, finally giving to sleep.

"Ravenpaw…" croaked a voice, startling him awake. With a yawn he looked toward Barley- and turned away again. The old tom was surrounded in sick.

"Barley! What happened?" Ravenpaw's eyes widened, what was wrong with his friend?

Barley didn't answer, he was too busy vomiting.

"I… you… I'll get you some water," Ravenpaw meowed, dashing from the barn, only to find himself swallowed up by snow.

"Fox dung!" swore the black cat, shaking snow from his whiskers. Carefully he took a step foreword, if he was careful and stepped lightly he could walk across the snow. _How will I bring back water in this weather? _he wondered, growing frustrated. The twolegs usually left a bowl out by the barn, but it would have frozen over. The dogs? No they would probably have been brought in for the night. He swore again, looking around the snowy landscape. Perhaps he could get Barley to lick the snow. It was worth a shot.

He slowly padded back to the barn, by the time he got back his paws ached with cold. Barley had fallen asleep, his frail body quivering.

Ravenpaw decided not to bother him, the snow would still be there when he woke up. Silently the black tom curled into a ball, and drifted back to sleep.

The sun was peaking through the clouds, when he woke. Barley was still sleeping, he looked almost normal. Ravenpaw decided to go for a walk. The twolegs would have plowed the roads, and Barley needed rest. He tried to think back to his days in ThunderClan: what would Spottedleaf have done? He couldn't remember, it had been so long ago... Sighing, he pushed through the barn door.

He didn't have to go far to reach the cleared ThunderPath, it would be dangerous to walk along, but he needed to clear his head. Dodging monsters would make a fine distraction from Barley's dea- illness. Barley wasn't dieing! He couldn't be!

_He is old, _meowed a nagging voice in his head. _It's a wonder he's made it this far! _

Barley couldn't die, he just… couldn't. What would Ravenpaw do on his own? Ever since he had left the clans, he'd been afraid of being alone. He had never considered a time without…

The black cat narrowly dodged a car, he'd have to pay more attention. He wasn't even sure where he was… the air tasted familiar, but his surroundings didn't match the scent. He was in a twoleg neighborhood, but it seemed different. Mounds of dirt were oddly placed, and the ground ripped apart. Nests that were completed looked new. Patches of trees were clustered in odd places. Startled he realized he had wandered to his old territory. Ripped apart and made into… this. It had been years since he had lived here.

The cat was so busy in his reminiscing that he failed to notice the dog looming near-by. A skinny thing, its fur matted and dirty. It drew closer, eyes lighting up. A chase… a chance to have some fun.

Ravenpaw jumped, arching his back. The dog was close, mere feet away, and he stood frozen in terror. _Move! _he told himself. _Move, move, move!_

He swung into action a fraction of a second too late, as the dog bit down on his leg. His eyes narrowed, claws unsheathing. He twisted and swiped down the dogs nose. It yelped, relaxing its grip enough for the cat to slip away. Ravenpaw swiped again, for good measure, wrenching his legs from its mouth. He hissed as he darted from the scene, almost enjoying himself.

The cat panted, pausing to examine him leg. _That won't be healing soon! _he thought. _I'm getting too old for this kind of thing!_

His brain snapped back to action, the mutt could be following him. He glanced behind him, but things seemed to be safe.

Next problem: He had no clue where he was. He surveyed the area, he was on a road that had just been plowed. The snow was shallow, not enough to cover his paws. It had stopped falling, but not soon enough to prevent his from finding his pawprints. He had to get home to Barley. Why had he left in the first place?

He gulped, starring at the paws that had carried him here. His heart leapt when he saw a barely visible print, he could follow, at least partially. He carefully limped along, oblivious the fact this wasn't his trail. His own trail lay in the other direction, still noticeable to the careful eye.

Her green eyes, once brilliant, were dull and heavy with sorrow. Lifeless. Her fur, once thick and shiny, was now matted and patchy. Life had not served the cat well. She was broken, physically and mentally. A wanderer with no home. She gave the appearance of a much older cat. She was skinny. Her ears were ripped by scars, her gait slowed by a limp.

A mess.

One wrong step and she wouldn't have the strength to go on. Not that there was a point.

She was hardly aware of the snow. She shut it out, because snow could only mean bad things. It was snowing when her world fell apart. Now it would snow when her world ended. She welcomed death, it would be a relief. Loner's don't go to StarClan, right?

It had been a year.

A year.

And here she was. A broken little cat with nowhere to go. She had reached the end of her road.

She slipped.

This was not the right way, decided Ravenpaw. The trail ended at on a bridge, one he had certainly not crossed earlier. He looked at the prints, only to discover they were much smaller than his own.

_Stupid! _he thought. He could he _just_ be noticing?

The bridge was old and wooden, meant as a walking path for twolegs. It was in the woods, a small patch of clan life left standing. This had been RiverClan's territory, he realized. He looked over the edge, the water was frozen over. It was pretty, almost calming. He knew where he was now. Not far from home.

Then something caught his eye, a small black shape. Was this who had left the trail leading here?

"Hello!" He called out.

Nothing.

"You alright?"

The animal didn't move. It seemed twisted, crumpled.

Without hesitation he hopped off the bridge, wincing as he hit the ground. It wasn't a far fall, but for someone unprepared it could be fatal. He scratched at the ice, trying to hold himself up while he limped toward the shape. Now that he was up close he could tell it was feline. A she-cat. She was black, her fur was long and unkempt. Her leg was twisted in an impossible way, and her breath shallow. He nudged her, but she made no move.

Ravenpaw wasn't a medicine cat, he had no idea how to help Barley, and now he had no idea how to help this twisted mound of fur. She was unconscious, and he was injured, and Barley…

He let out a yowl of anger, it was all too much! He couldn't help anyone, but he couldn't let them die, either. He sighed and grabbed the cat's scruff. This would be a long walk home.

_Demons dragged at her, pulling her apart, ripping. She was limp- lifeless. Through narrowed eyes she saw a shadow of a cat. An evil spirit dragging her away. This was it then. _

The she cat slipped in and out of consciousness, her shattered mind unable to focus. When she was at her most sentient, her head pounded and ached. Several times she cried out, before falling back into her dreams.

_The demons faded, she was alone in the dark. At her paws was a reflection of her old self. Unscarred, beautiful. She reached out, her paw slicing through the air. The reflection mimicked her movement. She stood. The reflection stood, now beside her. She stepped foreword, but her paw didn't touch the ground. Her reflection grinned as it pushed her down._

_She fell._

Ravenpaw was exhausted by the time he reached the barn. It was nearing dark, he had been gone all day. The she cat hadn't stirred the whole journey. He felt ready to collapse, but his worry over Barley won out. His worry had proven justified, as when he searched the barn he found the old cat huddled in the back of the barn. He was hot to the touch, but shivered uncontrollably.

"R-Ravenpaw?" he mewed shakily.

The black tom licked his ear, "I'm here."

A shudder rippled through Barley, he didn't reply. Ravenpaw's heart fluttered, but settled as he saw the old cat's chest rise.

His whiskers drooped as he whispered, "what am I going to do?"

"I can help," purred a voice from behind him.

He twisted, surprised to find the she cat had dragged herself over to him. Instead of feeling relief, a wave of anger swept over him. "Oh yeah?" he hissed, "how do you plan on that?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth, but she turned away and sighed. She lay back down and refused to look at him.

He softened. She was, after all, only trying to help. "My name is Ravenpaw," he offered, "and my friend needs all the help he can get."

She didn't look at him.

"I'm just so torn up. Barley is my friend, my best friend. He's so old though… I don't know if he can get past this. I've always run from my problems, but now-"

"You have to face them?" she finished, looking blankly at him.

He nodded.

She sighed, and pushed herself up. He back leg hung awkwardly as she forced herself over to the elderly tom. Ravenpaw jumped up to help, but she glared at him and he sat back down.

She sniffed over him, prodding now and again. After what seemed an eternity she looked up. "He has a fever," she announced. "We can't do anything."

Ravenpaw could hardly resist yowling at her. Instead, through bared teeth. he let out an "I could have told you that."

"What do you want me to _do_?" she meowed, "he has a fever, I have no herbs. Everything's _frozen_! Want me to wish him better? I don't have that kind of power…" she trailed off and turned her attention back to the sick tom. "I don't think anyone can help him now… he's in the paws of Starcl-" she squealed and shook her head "fate! He's in the paws of fate."

Ravenpaw grinned, could she really be a clan cat? Then… they were still around? Though if this cat was any example, they had disbanded… or worse? What was she doing here? Questions bit as his head. For the time being Barley was pushed to the back of his mind. He wanted answers. "Tell me what's your name?"

She sighed.

"C'mon," he prompted.

"My name is…" she gulped, "my name is Hollyleaf."


	2. Flashblack

**I know this is late. So sorry! Italics are flashbacks.**

**-**

The tom pushed into Hollyleaf, helping her up. Noting his limp she muttered a soft 'thank you'.

He whispered something she could not hear.

"What's _your_ name?" asked the black she-cat.

"My name is Ravenpaw, I used to be part of ThunderClan... but then..." he looked away, looking unsure.

"You left." She finished for him. "So did I."

_Hollyleaf dragged herself onwards. Skirting the WindClan territory. She had to leave. Soon._

_Her small body was racked with pain. _

_The cold forest seemed ominous. Not anything like her home. _

_It used to be home..._

_She shuddered. In such a short amount of time her entire life has fallen around her._

_She had to escape that._

"You can stay in the barn with me until your stronger," offered Ravenpaw. He seemed overly happy at that thought.

_Strange, _thought the she-cat.

Strange as it was, she had nothing better to do. Staying with this tom would be safer than wandering.

_Ravenpaw?! _suddenly the name clicked. Hadn't her grandfather told her about his friend back in the old forest? Ravenpaw.

She had to check.

"I'll come with you," she meowed, "StarClan knows you'll need help with that leg."

"I can take care of myself," he growled indignantly.

_Immature! _she thought. This cat had to be at least as old as Firestar, if not older, and hadn't he been described as shy?

She sighed slowly bobbed her head up and down.

"Let's go then, I'm cold, and haven't eaten in days--" Hollyleaf yelped as she slipped down a small hill, forgetting that she needed the toms help. Not only had it hurt, it was also cold.

_The fluffy black cat was near the edge of the clans' territory. Her leafy eyes were red, and her fur was missing large patches. Some had caught to thorns, some had been licked away as she tried to get to her injuries. Infection was setting in, and if she had ever learned an herb to heal them she had long forgotten it. _

_It had taken her much longer than it should to get here, several sunrises, at least. She needed to rest frequently . It already felt as if her paws would fall of. Maybe she could stop by the barn at the horseplace. _

_No, what if somehow the news of her being alive got back to camp._

_She fell over on the spot._

The snow had reached several inches, and it was getting colder. Bare trees loomed at the edge of the old ThunderClan's territory. If Hollyleaf had seen it before it was ripped up, this small patch of forest (nearly the only thing left from the days of the clans) would have been pathetic.

The black she-cat shook with the cold, pressing a little harder into the tom.

"Hey Hollyleaf," Ravenpaw started, "what clan were you in?"

She tensed, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry!" he meowed, "something bad must have happened if you left... I jumped at shadows for moons..."

"No it's okay," she loosened. Pausing for a moment she lied, "I was in ShadowClan."

Hollyleaf did _not _want to be connected to ThunderClan.

She didn't look WindClan, she took much more after her mother's side. Stocky and muscular compared to a WindClan cat.

She had nearly said RiverClan, until at the last moment she thought he might ask her to swim.

However, Hollyleaf could easily pass for ShadowClan. Her dark pelt would fit with the thick and dark forest.

The two black cats walked silently for a while.

"What clan where you in?" she asked, deciding to ease off her burning curiosity.

"ThunderClan," he meowed.

"Did you know Tigerstar?" she asked eagerly.

The black tom didn't reply.

She cursed herself for asking such an awkward question. It seemed lately her paw was always in her mouth.

_Lights of the Twolegplace glittered and sparked, the heavy scent of monsters was everywhere. Hollyleaf sat near in a twoleg yard, which seemed to be far enough away from any large thunderpaths. _

How do cats live like this?!_ thought Hollyleaf, as she licked one of her worse gashes (a large cut on her flank). _

_She looked up at a new smell- cat. A few fox-lengths away was a fluffy tortoiseshell she-cat. It's mouth opened into a hiss as she crept closer. _

_Startled, Hollyleaf jump back, her hackles up. "I-I don't want to fight..." she mewed. Though she figured that she could take this cat, who clearly wasn't a trained warrior, she was in no condition to fight._

_"Who are you," snarled the tortoiseshell. _

_"Holly..." she mewed, deciding to leave out the 'leaf'... it made her think of her code-breaking mother. _

_"This is _my _territory," hissed the cat._

_"I was only stopping for a rest, I can leave..." muttered Hollyleaf._

_"No, Holly, I don't think you will... at least-" she didn't bother to finish as she sprang at Hollyleaf with surprising speed. The cat landed on her back, and as Hollyleaf tried to push her off the small cat wrapped her front paws around her and dug her claws in. She had never seen this move in the clans..._

_Hollyleaf twisted and tried to pull away to no avail as the cat rapidly clawed with her hindlegs. _

_Just as 'Holly' was about to try going limp, a cat crashed into them. _

_Her eyes darted around as she realized she was free. The tortoiseshell had run off, hiding under a monster. _

_"I'm sorry about Ash..." meowed the other cat, a large black tom._

_"Kittypets," sneered Hollyleaf, licking the new cuts, "they are all the same! Horrible."_

_The tom tilted his head, "kittypet?"_

_"House-cat," she explained._

_"Well... I'm a house-cat... and I just saved you," muttered the cat._

"He was my mentor..." meowed Ravenpaw.

Hollyleaf's mouth opened in shook. "Mentor? That must have been so awful!"

He nodded.

Hollyleaf figured they were nearly there. It was near midday.

"We're almost there," muttered the tom, his limp becoming more pronounced. "Careful though, there are some dogs around here..."

_Great. Dogs. _thought Hollyleaf.

_Hollyleaf followed the tom, Spider, into a twoleg thing. A 'garage' he had called it. Ash, the cat who had attacked her sat starring near the cat-flap. Hollyleaf hung back, not only was Ash there, going into this garage would be against everything she had ever been raised for. _

_However, she wasn't a clan cat anymore. To her clan she was dead._

_Gulping, she pushed through the door. Tumbling onto a cold floor._

_Spider chuckled, "you shouldn't jump through."_

_"Yeah, I kind of got that," Hollyleaf nodded._

_She studied Spider, noting that, besides the lack of a brown belly, he looked a lot like Spiderleg... she felt a pang of grief. She missed the idiotic tom. She missed her brothers... _

_"You don't look like a kittypet," she meowed, noting his muscular form and lack of a collar._

_"I know how to take collars off," he meowed proudly, "it drives the humans crazy."_

_The two chattered on for awhile until they were interrupted by a tiny she-cat slipping through the cat-flap. _

_"Star," purred Spider, rubbing against the gray tabby. _

_"Who's she?" asked Star, her huge amber eyes growing even larger. She took a few pawsteps back._

_"I'm Holly."_

_Star's little body shook. "What happened to you?" her meow was extremely high-pitched, and it was hard to tell the cat's age. Surely no more than a few moons?_

_"Where is Patch?" asked Spider, snuggling into Star._

_Were they mates?_

_"Holly, you look starving," noted the tiny cat, "hasn't Spider offered food to you yet?" _

_She slowly swung her fluffy black head from side to side. _

_"Food is right over there," Spider pointed with his tail to a white bowl filled with pellets._

_Holly hesitated, taking a few steps at a time. The "food" was behind a plastic bin. _

I am not a clan cat anymore... _she reminded herself while taking a mouthful of the dry pellets, they tasted a little like fish. _Yuck! _she thought. Fish wasn't her food of choice._

_"Your welcome to any prey," meowed Spider, noting her expression. _

_Thankfully she nodded. She had missed the flavors of mice._

_"The twolegs love it when you catch mice! Sometimes they even give you treats, or catmint," Star purred._

_The cat seemed mature, how old _was _she?_

_"Um Star... I don't want to be rude but... how many moons old are you?" asked Hollyleaf._

_"Heh, I get asked that a lot. I'm 15 moons," she meowed._

_15... This apprentice sized cat was an adult! About as old as herself._

_A door opened, and a twoleg kit stepped out of the house, letting her dog out with her._

_She made a cooing noise that Hollyleaf couldn't make out, and before she could hide her head was being pat. _

_Unsure of what to do she let the twoleg pet her. _

_"She wants you to stay here for a moment," meowed Star, translating the cooing noises._

_The dog stared at her, baring his fangs._

_"Watch out," he said, in near perfect cat._

_"_Here's the barn!" meowed Ravenpaw.

Hollyleaf opened her mouth and scented mice. Lot's of them. If only she was strong enough to hunt.

She tested a few steps by herself, it seemed like her hindlegs were useless.

Half dragging herself she padded into the barn...

On the ground lay a black and white tom, his breathing shallow.

"He's sick..." muttered Ravenpaw.

"I can help!" blurted Hollyleaf, "I used to be a Medcine cat apprentice!"

**It would be longer, but I really want to get this chapter up. I am REALLY sorry it's so late.**

**Don't you love Lil-- I mean Ash? 33**

**Yeah she's my cat...**

**She made me do it.**

**And then I had to add Spider.**

**And with Spider comes Star (who really is tiny).**

**And Pengui- Patch... well he'll come 'round next chapter.**


	3. Story Time

**Wow, long time, eh? My computer is broken, sorry... Oh and turns out Ravenpaw is like... 5, so there isn't as big an age gap as I thought. This takes place... about a year after Sunrise.. or something. I haven't decided. Oh and I know I don't need to ask, but would you mind if (if ever I complete this) I did a sequel starring an OC? He'll be a more important character later (he hasn't even shown up yet ;D).**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Hollyleaf pressed her nose into the old tom's side. The former rise and fall of the chest had faded, though a ragged breath would occasionally run through the tom... but it was happening less and less.

"How old is he?" Hollyleaf had asked.

Ravenpaw just shrugged. "Old, really old."

The tom had been quite, and Hollyleaf could tell he was grieving. The poor tom... this was all he'd know for a very long portion of his life. She could relate...

The young she-cat shook her head, "there is nothing I can do..." she mewed pitifully, looking at her paws. Suddenly she noticed the cold winter air and a shiver went through her spine. She had failed... again.

"He's gone. He'll be dead by moonhigh," she muttered dryly.

_Hollyleaf know she would have to leave, eventually. It wasn't bad living the the kittypets. Even Ash warmed up to her a little. The dog grew to ignore her. She was allowed in the twoleg nest and sported a new collar around her neck. It was bright green with a shining pink heart tag (with out twoleg symbols on it). She couldn't stand it, but it was worth the food. The place was crawling with mice, apparently no one really liked hunting. _

_Sometimes it was hard to think how these cats were... well, cats. Ash spent her time on the twolegs lap, Star sleeping... Spider she could relate too, at least a little. He would run around the yard and engage in playfights with the others (though they usually weren't very happy about that). And then there was Patch..._

_Patch was an extremely large black and white tom. He was friendly, and was fun to talk too, but he didn't do much besides eat and sleep._

_Though her life was comfortable... it felt wrong and awkward. One conversation with Spider went like this._

_"So... have you and Star had any kits yet?" she asked him._

_To her shock Spider laughed. _

_"What's so funny?" she asked, eyes narrow._

_"Of course not, I've been to the vet! Can't you smell it on me?" he asked with a tilt of his head._

_Hollyleaf shook her head, "no... I can't..."_

_"Sure 'ya can Holly, do I smell like forest cats?" he asked, grinning. The tom never ceased to surprise her. He was happy he could never father kits?_

_Slowly she swung her great head from side to side. "You smell like twolegs, and kittyp- house cat food... and like a kitt- house cat..."_

_Spider rolled his yellow eyes, "anyway, have _you _had any kits?"_

_"No... it didn't seem right to me... and there were no toms in my clan that caught my eye..."_

The black she-cat snuggled into Ravenpaw, trying to keep from the bitter cold. The old tom (she had never learned his name, and Ravenpaw wasn't about to tell) had died two nights ago, and she had grown to love the barn. It wasn't her forest, but it was more comfortable then the twoleg-place.

She still didn't know what to think of Ravenpaw, he was very distraught over his friends death, and cold towards her.

The snow was so deep the cats had to jump to get around, and they rarely left the barn. Morning sunlight was barely illuminating the haystacks as the two cats stirred.

Hollyleaf's green eyes fluttered open first and she prodded Ravenpaw awake, mostly to annoy him. She could understand his grieving, but if it wasn't for her it seemed he wouldn't ever do anything, not even eat!

_Am I the only thing keeping him alive? _the thought pleased her... this tom was something to take care of...

Ravenpaw swore under his breath as he stood up. His dark pelt blending in with the shadowy barn.

"Was that needed?" grumbled the tom.

Hollyleaf smirked. "Mm... yeah, I think it was..."

Ravenpaw sighed, and padded out into the cold snowy dawn, Hollyleaf just pawsteps behind. The scents were all masked, but the she-cat smiled, "want to hunt?"

"The mice are all in the barn... we won't find anything out here," he stated as he sat down, his legs and tail covered in the snow.

Hollyleaf sighed.

"It's so different than in the forest..."

The tom tilted his head, "forest? I thought ShadowClan lived in a marsh?"

Hollyleaf was silent, unsure of what to say, had she just let it slip she was a ThunderClan cat? But then it occurred to her that ShadowClan _did _live in a forest. A _pine _forest, but still.

"Maybe, in the old territory, we lived in a marsh. However, when we moved to the lake the closest thing was a pine forest..." she meowed.

"Mm, well alright," Ravenpaw meowed.

Hollyleaf saw him fidgeting, as if he was nervous or cold. Snow was again falling, the white flakes drifting down slowly. She feared that soon they would have to stay in the barn.

Suddenly the tom leapt to his paws, and pounced at the snow. Hollyleaf let out a _mrrow _of laughter as she joined him. It was fun, playing in the snow, it reminded her of being a kit. Of playing in the den with Jayfeather and Lionblaze the queens watching over them. She felt a pang of grief as she thought of her brothers. If ever there was a reason to go back to the clans... but no. They didn't understand her, they never would.

A heavy weight against her side snapped her back to reality, and she tumbled over with an _omph! _Ravenpaw had tripped and crashed into the she-cat, sending her back several feet.

Dazed she got to her paws, glaring over at the black tom.

"Sorry!" he purred. He didn't sound the least bit sorry...

She narrowed her eyes and pounced, landing on top of the black tom.

The playfight lasted a few more minutes before Ravenpaw darted into the barn. Hollyleaf followed him taking a look over her shoulder at the snow.

_"Your tooth is chipped!" mowed Holly in surprise, looking at the fat tom. This wasn't what she had expected from a kittypet. Though he was the definition of a tame kitty now, he had been quite the fighter, it seemed. Patch's ears were torn, and he had many scars under his thick fur. _

_He was old, old enough to be an elder._

_"Holly," he meowed, "something is bothering you... Spider doesn't seem to notice but... tell me, where did you live before coming here."_

_Holly gulped._

_"Well I... lived on the streets for awhi--" she was cut off._

_"The truth, Holly."_

_She blinked, had her lies been that transparent? "I lived," her eyes misted over and she looked away, "I lived in a l-large group of cats, called a Clan. Th-there are four clans ar-around a big lake... "_

_She went on explaining about the clans, until she got to the part about her mother._

_"The code meant so much to me... and the fact that I was against it... that the fact of being alive was a total break in the code... it was too much. I cracked. After they found out about me killing Ashfur... well I-I..." she had to stop for a moment to regain her composure._

_"I ran off and into these tunnels, but they collapsed... a-and I... I was nearly dead but I pushed my self as hard as I could and made it out somewhere in WindClan..." she sighed. "I dragged myself as far as I could away, and used the training I'd had to heal my wounds... But I was shattered, y'know. I couldn't go on like that. I tried to keep myself in check, and I brought myself far away from the clans, my home, my brothers, my friends. If I had gone back..._

_"Maybe they would have let me stay, and maybe I could still be with my brothers. I fear that I would have caused them more damage, though...._

_"Patch, I'm ashamed of what I did, but it's too late to do anything about it now, and I'm glad Ashfur can't harm anyone anymore."_

_She had expected the old tom to be angry at her, but he just nodded._

_"You've been through a lot for such a young cat. I had thought Ash had... but it seems her misfortune was not nearly as... depressing, though just as horrible in it's own right. Though it is misfortune of another kind, Ash's," he meowed._

_"What happened to her?" asked Holly._

_"The twolegs found her and her sister when she was a mere kit, not yet weaned. Their mother, had been taken away and they would have died had it not been for our housefolk. _

_"Flower was a hyper kit, spending her time playing with me and Shade (we'll get to him in a moment), Ash was sickly and preferred to sleep. Ash and Shade connected right away, and when he was keeping Flower entertained he was with Ash..._

_"I'm sure you've seen Star and Spider, imagine that, but twice as strong. The two were inseparable. _

_"But, a little while back Shade got sick, it was sudden and violent, and he died the same night... Ash hasn't been the same since then," he finished. _

Hollyleaf dropped a mouse in front of Ravenpaw, "eat it." she meowed.

Sighing, the tom took it in his mouth. Sinking his teeth into the soft flesh. "Who are you to tell me what to do?" he asked, taking another mouthful.

Hollyleaf sighed. "A cat who doesn't want you to starve." She took a bite of her own mouse, a fat gray creature. It wasn't any sort of challenge to catch the barn animals. They would blindly come to eat the hay, and then she would pounce. Forest mice seemed much smarter.

"Why do care if I starve?" he chuckled.

She thought about it a moment, "because if you starve I'll be stuck in this barn with no one to talk to, and I'd go crazy with boredom."

"Fair enough," he meowed.

The two black cats continued talking until the sky grew dark and Hollyleaf started to yawn. She licked the cat's ear and curled into a ball. "'Night Ravenpaw," she yawned, and drifted into sleep.

Suddenly she was in a dark forest, there was a cool mossy ground beneath her paws, and a half-moon glinted above. In the distance there was a shadow of a small cat.

"Where am I exactly?" asked a voice Hollyleaf knew, if only she could place it?

"I have no clue," she meowed teasingly, her voice echoed.

The cat was in sight now, he was a small gray tabby with gleaming blue eyes.

Hollyleaf gasped, "Jayfeather?!"

She darted over to the tom, "oh I'm so glad to see you!"

Jayfeather looked the matted, scarred she-cat over.

"Who are you?" he asked, backing away.

"Jayfeather, don't tell me you don't know!" she cried, looking at him pleadingly (apparently he could see in his dreams).

"I don't." he meowed with a hint of confusion.

Hollyleaf mewed in anguish. "I spend half of my time thinking of how I miss you and Lionblaze and you don't recognize me!?" her green eyes burned into the tom as she let out a hiss.

She turned around and ran into the forest.

"Wait!" cried Jayfeather.

"Hollyleaf, are you OK? You're yowling..."

Her eyes opened to the barn.

**Is this the last we'll see of Jayfeather? Probably not.**

**I hope this chapter is OK, it would have been longer... if I felt like writing....**

**A super special awesome thanks to Ash, who is laying on my arm and preventing me from typing well. And hissing when I try to get her off.**

**Oh and to Patch, and Spider, who gave me something to pet while writing this.**

**Of course Star didn't help at all...**


	4. Stuck in Small Spaces

**Hopefully I'll get this up quick. School starts tomorrow so I may be writing _more _I know that sounds odd, but doing my English work might kick up my (lazy) inner writer. I hope. (Of course, by the time I post this, school will have started -_-, I'm a slow writer xD)**

**--**

"It's so cold," shivered the fluffy black she-cat. It had to be the coldest leaf-bare ever. Or at least in her life.

Ravenpaw rolled his eyes. "You complain to much."

In the past moon the two black cats had become good friends. Ravenpaw was healing from Barley's death, and Hollyleaf was picking up the shattered fragments of clan life. It drew the two together.

The usual conversation consisted of arguments and sarcastic comments. To any other cat it would seem the two hated each other. It was no surprise that Hollyleaf replied: "What's wrong with complaining mouse-brain? It's not against the rules or anything."

Ravenpaw sighed, "rules, rules rules. Hollyleaf stop right there, just stop. Rules are made for breaking."

After a long while of bickering Hollyleaf sighed and rolled onto her back, looking at the barn roof. She felt a wave of claustrophobia pass over her. How long had it been since she was back in the forest? She tried to battle the feeling, it wasn't a new one...

_Holly yawned, reaching out a black paw. She was laying on a twoleg nest, or 'bed'. She had to admit that it was almost worth being a kittypet. Almost. _

_However she had been forced to endure tortures no cat should. Namely a bath. Though she had screamed and clawed at the twoleg dipping her into a large white pool of water she had still been thoroughly soaked. _

_Another was nail clipping, where her claws were partially taken away, leaving blunt stumps. Though her claws grew back, in time, it had been humiliating and wrong. Who could fight with no weapons?_

_She licked her shoulder and looked around, she found it best to avoid the twolegs. She had assumed they were asleep, but she couldn't really tell. _

_Cautiously she leapt off the bed and peered around. No one really went into this room except for her. Spider had called it the 'Guest Room', still something made her uneasy. _

_It was all too quite, too peaceful. The room was small and the walls felt like a trap. She shivered and took a deep breath. _Just walk Holly, _she told herself. _

_She reached out slowly and then darted from the room. _

_Nothing happened._

"Ravenpaw, is it possible to get out of the barn?" she asked, fighting back panic.

He shook his head.

"You could try, but I don't think so..."

Hollyleaf got to her paws and ran to the door, jumping out into the snow. It was too deep. Over her head. This way _way _worse than being in the barn. It was wet and cold. She sneezed, her body shaking from whisker to tail tip.

_Get out. _

But Hollyleaf didn't listen to sense. No. Instead she curled into a ball and cried pitifully. It was all to much.

Her family, her home, her _life, _gone. Normally she'd curse herself for being so weak. Whatever, it didn't matter. Life sucked.

Now she was feeling sorry for herself?! Just when things were looking up?

She shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts, but proceeded in getting snow in her ears. Should she stand up? Jump back in the barn?

The decision was taken from her when something dragged her.

Hollyleaf let out a yelp of surprise and was promptly dropped onto the barn floor.

It was dry.

She looked with wide eyes at the chuckling black tom standing over her.

"Ravenpaw!" she hissed, licking her fur smooth.

"What? Afraid to jump? Hollyleaf you are the biggest wimp!" He meowed, sounding both amused and angry.

Hollyleaf thought a moment. What had really happened? It didn't really make much sense. She hadn't been herself, nor had she thought rationally. What was wrong with her? _What _was wrong with her?!

She shivered, narrowing her eyes. It wouldn't happen again, she wouldn't let it.

Smiling she chimed, "act-ing."

Her eyes gleamed, but behind them she was scolding herself for the lie. _Not good Hollyleaf, bad girl,_ It was almost funny.

_"Um, Holls, what are you doing?" asked Star, eyeing the black cat._

_"What do you mean?" asked Hollyleaf, dropping the mouse into the pink food dish. _

_"The mouse! Why not just eat it? Or play with it?"_

_"I thought... maybe someone else would be hungry. 'Sides Spider left a shrew outside the door."_

_"Alright, well, whatever," Star purred._

_Hollyleaf could see herself living here forever. She was really fitting in well, she had even acquired a taste for the rabbit-pellet foods. She had even warmed up to Ash, though Ash hadn't warmed up to her. The yard was big (bigger than most) and though there were dogs, they were manageable._

_One thing that was truly amazing was that she was getting used to the twolegs. Though she didn't curl smugly into their laps like Ash, and she wasn't depended on them like Star, she was happy to receive a pat on the head._

_Then there was catmint._

_She had known it as an apprentice, to be used against coughs, however here it was given as a treat. _

_Even the smell of it was enough to keep her happy. The crunchy minty leav-- "Holly, um... you're drooling," interrupted a small dilute tortoiseshell (Star looked like a tabby to her, but there was no arguing against it)._

_"Thinking about catmint," meowed Holly._

_Star purred, "yum!" then she looked down at her paws and turned her head away._

_"Erm is there a problem?" asked the former warrior. _

_Star looked out the window, and Holly followed her gaze. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary; long grass, twoleg toys, trees._

_"I just remembered something, I have to go... er..." Star ran down the hallway as Holly shook her head. That cat had problems._

_"Holly!" squeaked a voice behind her. _

_The she-cat narrowed her eyes, "Ash..?" What did Ash want with her? _

_"I just need to tell you something," she meowed, her voice tinged with embarrassment. She looked away from the black cat._

_"Yes...?" asked Holly, getting annoyed. If this cat wanted something she should just spit it out! It was immensely frustrating. Why couldn't she get a strait answer to anything? The annoyance must have shown, because Ash took a step back. Her tortoiseshell fur prickling up along her back._

_"Look, Holly, you have to leave," meowed Ash seriously._

_Holly laughed. "Leave? Why should I?"_

_Ash's face flooded with embarrassment. "Um... look this sounds so stupid, but sometimes I have d-dreams... and," her voice quivered, "Shade talks to me. I've never admitted it to anyone before."_

_Holly was stunned. This cat, a mere kittypet, had dreams strikingly similar to those from StarClan? But how? She hadn't been a warrior, much less a leader or a medicine cat._

_Something tugged at Holly's memory. Ash wasn't born a kittypet! What if she had clan blood running through her veins?_

_"What did Shade say?"_

**Short chapter!! But I uploaded at a reasonable time so there. Anyway, I'll have another up shortly. I really can't think of what else to add. Holly and Raven sitting in the barn? Boring. I shouldn't have made it so snowy. They need to get out and have some fun!**

**Next chapter:**

**Why Ashyluff has dreams similar to those of a Medicine cat. **

**Random tidbits of Raven x Holly.**

**Um.. suggestions are always luffed.**


	5. An Explanation sort of

**Just read all of the past chapters. I am going to be fiddling with them for the next few weeks, cos they suck. They will be longer and neater. So you may want to re-read them. With each updated chapter I think I'll have a short chapter. I need to get (better at) writing.**

**For now here's a short chapter. I stress the word short.**

_** SHORT.**_

_**And yeah, you do deserve more for reading through all the crap.**_

_**-----**_

_Hollyleaf... Hollyleeeafff... HOLLYLEAF!_

The black she-cat listened dazed as a thousand voices swirled around her head.

_Hollyleaf!_

Where was she?

She tried to call out, to answer the voices but no noise came from her throat. She was vaguely aware of darkness around her, but she couldn't make out any shapes.

_Hollyleaf!_

She shivered. _What do you want? _she thought, attempting (and failing) to open her mouth.

_You._

_What do you want with ME?_

It made no sense...

There was a pause, as if the voices were considering.

_To talk._

_Talk then._

_Hollyleaf open your eyes..._

The pale light filtering into the barn woke Hollyleaf as a shiver rippled through her spine. She winced, realizing the probably woke the tom she was curled up with.

_Why should it matter? It'd be funny to wake that furball! _she thought.

But she didn't.

Instead she slowly unwrapped her tail from around him and slid away. Padding over to the door.

The snow was melting, and she had been enjoying the time spent out of her hay filled... home.

She tested the word nervously. "Home..."

_Of course it's home, mouse-brain, you live here, s_he scolded herself.

It had felt good. Thinking she had a home.

_Ash was silent for a moment, shifting from paw to paw, golden eyes wide and aimed at the soft carpet beneath her paws. She was the picture of discomfort._

_"Holly... It's so hard to explain," cried the cat, "he told me that you were... needed elsewhere. No, that's not right... this is all too confusing." _

_Holly sighed. This wasn't what she had expected from the cat._

_"I think it would be more accurate to say that someone was waiting for you, that they needed you. It was all so obscure!"_

_"Ash, I have things to do you know... what's the best way to explain it?" Holly meowed in annoyance._

_"He said someone was waiting for you, that you needed to be there." she meowed, nervously._

That doesn't sound corny at all.._ thought Holly sarcastically. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead she let out a somewhat strained meow, "anything else?"_

_The dappled tortoiseshell nodded. _

_For a moment it was quite, and, as confused Holly stood up to leave, Ash spoke up. "He said you wouldn't believe me," she purred. Her edge coming back._

_"I don't," Holly meowed bluntly._

_"You are presumed dead by your family, are you not? Your brothers are Lionblaze and Jayfeather. You killed Ashfur. Your Parents are Leafpool and Crowfeather," she paused, seeing the look on Holly's face, "I could go on, but I won't."_

_Holly blinked. How?_

_How?_

_Ash gave a smug purr. Curling her tail around her paws._

_The black cat stiffened. Could she give all this up? She decided Ash wasn't lying, how could she be? Patch didn't know the names of her family and she certainly didn't tell anyone else her story._

_"Please listen, this is important," started Holly._

_Ash yawned. "Save it."_

_"But how could you know all that?" wailed Holly._

_The fur along Ash's back prickled. "Shade told me," she meowed._

_-_

I am so unhappy with this fic at the moment. It's so boring, there's no action.


	6. I Owe You Guys an Appology

I guess I own an explanation for abandoning this? My life has been pretty crazy latley. I'm totallying redoing this story. I like it, I like the story and I want to finish. But I just am not at all satisfied with it. New chapter 1 is up. Things won't really make sense until I'm done redoing what I have, but it will be SO much better. Any fans left, just give me a little more time. I should be done and updating again soon!  
-Darkhallows/Moonlilycat 


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